Peru captain Paolo Guerrero to miss World Cup, banned 1 year

FILE- In this Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017 file photo, Peru's Paolo Guerrero arrives for a national soccer team practice session in Lima, Peru. FIFA banned Peru captain Paolo Guerrero for one year after a positive test for cocaine, on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, forcing the striker to miss the World Cup.Martin Mejia / AP

“The evidence is clear, and when added to the low concentration of the substance typical of coca leaves there can be no justification under any circumstances for this decision,” Fida said.

Peru’s football federation said in a statement that it regrets FIFA’s decision and trusts “Paolo’s personal and professional quality.”

“Today we were visited by Paolo’s family and spoke to him with the certainty that football and Peruvians united can overcome adversity,” the federation said, adding that it believes Guerrero’s suspension will be overturned on appeal.

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This story has been corrected to show that Guerreo led the team with six goals in World Cup qualifying, not five.